Ducey Set to Reappoint Municipal Attorney, Others at Reorganization

When the Brick Township council reorganizes Tuesday night, few surprises are expected.

With no shakeups of Brick’s elected officials having occurred on election day in November, Democrats will maintain a 7-0 majority on the council this year, with John Ducey, also a Democrat, continuing his term as mayor. That translates into no major changes this year when it comes to mayoral appointments, such as the township attorney, prosecutor and public defender, among others.

In addition to the mayoral appointments, council members will select one of their own to serve as council president, and another to serve as council vice president.

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Kevin Starkey, and the law firm of Starkey, Kelly, Kenneally, Cuningham & Turnbach, is on the agenda to be reappointed as the township’s legal counsel. The Starkey firm is generally known to be aligned with township Democrats. The firm replaced Gilmore and Monahan, a Republican-aligned firm, when Ducey took over as mayor from Stephen C. Acropolis, a Republican, last year. The township will pay $165 per hour for legal services, the same rate the township paid in 2014 and the same rate the Gilmore firm charged for several years prior.

Ducey is also set to reappoint attorney Michael R. Burns, of the firm Rothstein, Mandell, Strohm, Must, & Halm, of Lakewood, as municipal prosecutor, and Lani M. Lombardi, of the firm Cleary, Giacobbe, Alfieri & Jacobs, of Oakland, as conflict prosecutor. Burns will earn $600 per court session, and Lombardi will earn $250 per session. A pool of alternate prosecutors will be appointed as well.

Matthew Sage, a Toms River attorney, will serve as public defender at a rate of $500 per court session. Numerous attorneys will be appointed as alternate and conflict public defenders.

Other appointments include the firm Fallon and Larsen, of Hazlet, as township auditor, and Bowman and Company, of Vorhees, which will provide accounting services.

The reorganization meeting will begin at 7 p.m. in council chambers at the municipal complex on Chambers Bridge Road.